The risk of reporting rumor as news without doing the proper research and homework for an article, is embarrassment when the facts are eventually revealed. This is evidenced by recent reports about Sarah Palin's baby, Trig and daughter, Bristol.
**Update below**
Rumor ran rampant about Sarah Palin, her child Trig and her daughter Bristol. The rumors started with a popular liberal website,
Daily KoS, and certain media outlets touched on them and was even reported here at
Digital Journal com.
The reports focused on pictures of Republican vice presidential running mate, Sarah Palin, showing that she didn't appear to be pregnant, then the story followed with their "proof" that the baby was her daughter's, Bristol Palin. They "proved" her daughter had missed time at school and then they produced pictures of her daughter which they claimed showed her to be "pregnant."
Specifically the reports focused on the 17 year olds stomach, with the rumor perpetuated by the Daily KoS website and others that reported on the rumors.
The photo that KoS used and claimed was taken on March 9, 2008,
was taken in Wasilla, Alaska in
2006. The photo was taken by Lester, from the Anchorage Daily News. (URL linked above to the Anchorage Daily News photo gallery) KoS then provided photos from 2008 which showed the same type of belly fat.
Sarah Palin at home with her family in Wasilla, Alaska in 2006. From left is Piper, 5, husband Todd, Willow, 12, and at right is Bristol, 16. Not pictured is Palin's son Track, 17. Trig Palin was born in 2008.
Baby Trig Palin, a Downs Syndrome baby, was born on April 18, 2008.
No matter how you do the math, there is no way a girl can be pregnant from 2006 to April of 2008.
Daily KoS and those that reported on the speculated rumor, without doing their homework and just repeating the rumor, all have now maligned a 17 year old girl, her mother who is the vice presidential running mate on the Republican ticket and their whole family.
[UPDATE- 9/1/08]--
Another Kos writer provided an undoubtedly pregnant Sarah Palin picture and telling the Kos community
"Unless someone has counter evidence, we can drop this crap now. Yes, there are still some interesting questions, such as why she flew to Dallas and back when she was this pregnant, and why the Alaska Airlines crewmembers insisted that she was not visibly pregnant on the flight. Nevertheless, until this photo is debunked, we look stupid pushing this rumor.
That is all."
[End Update]
